Improvement in car-brakes



MILLER, PECK & 0LMSTED.-

Car Brake.

No. 41,744. v Patented Feb. 23, 1364.

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UNITED STATES ZPATENT OFFIC GEORGE S. MILLER, OF THOMPSONVILLE, E. B. PECK, OF BRIDGEPORT, AND WILLIAM OLMSTED, OF THOMPSONVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN- ORS TO G. S. MILLER AND E. B. PECK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent- No. 4 1,744, dated February 23, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE S. MILLER of Thompsonville, county of Hartford, and

' Siate of Connecticut, E. B. PEGK, of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, WILLIAM OLMS'IED, of Thompsonville, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Brakes; and we do hereby declare that the same is described and represented in the following specification and drawings; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same we will proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like partsin each of thefigures.

The nature of this improvement will be fully understood from the accompanying specification and drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is an end view.

A is the frame-work of the truck. 13 is the axle; C, the wheels; D, axle-boxes; E, the brakes; F, the ratchet-shaft for winding the chain of the brakes, all of which are as now in common use.

G is a collar-flange fitted fast to the shaftB.

H is a sleeve-flange fitted to and turning loosely upon the axle B. These two flanges may be made larger or smaller in diameter, as may be desirable, the faces of which also may be made more or less convex or concave, and in the face-surface of the flanges I propose to form recesses to receive wood or metal friction-plates.

I is a connecting-rod secured in the framework of the truck. It would seem important to be here stated that a connection device for connecting this rod from car to car should be introduced to produce uniformity of action of the brakes; and for this purpose we propose to use sometimes a device similar to the spiralspring scales in common use. J is a doubleangle lever.

K is a cross-bar secured to the girts of the frame-work, and the lever J is secured and operates on the fulcrum-pin a in the cross-bar K. In the outer ends of the two angle portions of the lever J are arranged friction-rolls c. The long end of the lever J is connected by a pin or bolt in any operating manner to the connecting-rod I.

L are rods, one end of which are connected to the brakes E, and the opposite ends of said rods are connected, one to the end and the other a short distance from the end of a short lever, M, and a chain, N, connects the other end of said lever M to the sleeve-flange H.

It will be seen that when the car is put in motion if the rod I be pulled forward by either the act of the brakeman, engineer, or conductor, it will produce an action of the lever J againstthe back of thesleeve-flangeliland force it against and in friction with the flange G, and by the friction of the two together will cause the chain N to wind around the sleeve of the flange H and produce a close application of the brakes E to the wheels in the same way as if the brakeman were at the ratchet-shaft F of each car of the train; also, that in case of too great an amount of strain being brought to bear on the brakes the friction-surface of the flanges will slip, and thus allow sufliicient slack to prevent accident or breakage, which otherwise might cause serious damage. Thus it is believed that a whole train of cars may be conducted with greater safety by one man than by several while using the present system of brakes.

The advantages to be derived are deemed to be so obvious and numerous as to render it unnecessary further to dwell thereon. We believe we have shown the nature, construction, and operation of this improvement so as to enable a person skilled to make and use the same.

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of the flanges G H upon the axle B in combination with a double-acting lever, J, and connecting-rod I, substantially asand for the purpose described.

GEO. S. MILLER.

E. B. PECK.

' WILLIAM OLMSTED.

Witnesses:

GILBERT FOWLER, WM. THoMPsoN. 

